!  SPIRIT 

OF  19O6 


GEORGE  W.  BROOKS 


GIFT  OF 
Class   of  1897 


The  Spirit 

°f 

1906 


GEO.  W.  BROOKS,  SECRETARY  AND 

TREASURER,    FOUNDER    OF    THE 

COMPANY  AS  REORGANIZED  IN  THE 

YEAR  1905 


The  Spirit  of 
1906    UNI 


.k 


By 

GEORGE  W.  BROOKS 
// 

Founder  of  the  California  Insurance  Company  (as  reorganized 

in  the  year  1905)   and  who  has  continuously   occupied 

the  position  of  Secretary  and  Managing  Underwriter 

with  the  Corporation  since  that  date. 


PUBLISHED  BY 

THE  CALIFORNIA  INSURANCE  COMPANY 

OF  SAN  FRANCISCO 

1921 


COPYRIGHT  1921 

BY 
GEO.  W.  BROOKS 


DEDICATED  TO  THE  DIRECTORS  AND 
SHAREHOLDERS  OF  THE  CALIFORNIA 
INSURANCE  COMPANY  IN  1906  WHO 
so  NOBLY,  AT  THEIR  OWN  FINAN- 
CIAL COST,  DID  THEIR  "BiG  BIT." 


"On  fame's  eternall  beadroll  worthie  to  be  fyled." — Spenser 

Foreword 

Whatever  of  effort  has  been  given  in  the  pleasant  pas- 
time of  writing  these  rambling  and  sketchy  pages  of 
reminiscences  is  dedicated  to  those  who  in  the  hours  of 
trial  and  tribulation  felt  with  Sir  Philip  Sidney ', 
"Honor  is  the  idol  of  mans  mind"  and  determined 
to  do  that  which  honor  demanded  knowing  that  if  they 
lost  their  honor  they  lost  their  all. 
Reading  between  these  lines ,  /'/  is  hoped  there  will  be 
found  some  intimation^  some  outline ',  of  the  character 
of  the  men  who  composed  the  directors  and  stock- 
holders of  the  California  Insurance  Company ',  who 
acted  well  their  part,  who  fought  the  good  fight  and 
held  the  faith  ^  whose  stern  sense  of  duty  and  heroic 
courage  led  them  to  lay  upon  the  altar  of  their  idealism 
the  financial  sacrifices  which  they  made, 
theirs  is  the  honor  achieved.  "They  neither  faltered 
nor  hesitated  in  upholding  and  protecting  their  own 
individual  good  name,  the  fair  name  of  the  Company 
nor  the  integrity  of  the  financial  institutions  of  Cali- 
fornia, and  they,  like  Bacon  "May  leave  their  name 
and  memory  to  man's  charitable  speeches^  to  the  next 
age  and  foreign  nations" 


The  Spirit  o 


HE  CALIFORNIA  INSURANCE  COMPANY 
having  played  one  of  the  leading  parts 
in  the  reconstruction  of  San  Francisco 
following  the  disaster  of  1906  and 

there  being  no  record  of  its  activities, 

I  have,  after  insistent  and  repeated  requests  from 
directors,  stockholders  and  others,  finally  yielded 
to  their  importunities  to  preserve  for  reference  my 
impressions  and  memories  of  that  most  important 
crisis  ever  known  to  fire  insurance. 

From  the  time  when  Nero  played  the  violin  ac- 
companiment to  the  burning  of  Rome,  down, 
through  the  ages,  to  5:15  a.  m.,  April  18,  1906,  and 
up  to  the  present  date,  the  San  Francisco  disaster 
is  the  most  prominent  recorded  in  history.  It  was 
the  greatest  spectacular  drama  ever  staged  and 
produced  the  biggest  heap  of  the  "damn'dest,  fin- 
est ruins"  the  world  has  ever  seen. 

In  transferring  the  records  from  the  tablets  of 
my  memory  to  the  printed  page,  I  am  dealing  with 
accurate  historical  facts  of  the  California  Insurance 
Company  together  with  my  own  impressions.  The 


The  Spirit  facts  and  figures  regarding  the  Company  are  in-- 
of  19°°  controvertible.  My  own  impressions  are  but  those 
which  were  felt  by  thousands  of  other  San  Francis- 
,  ( .cans  in  a  greater  ,or  lesser  or  more  varying  degree. 
;Tttese  rh&}>  fye  taken  as  merely  the  local  color,  the 
>   ,  c object  bejflg  ,to(  set  forth  for  enduring  vision,  the 
fC<'  ;  splendid  performances  of  honorably  disposed  fire 
insurance   companies    amongst   which   none   dis- 
charged to  policyholders  the  liabilities  under  their 
contracts  with  any  greater  sense  of  equity,  honor 
and  liberality  than  did  the  California  Insurance 
Company. 


[14] 


The  (^Morning  oftApril  i8th 

N  COMMON  with  the  other  half  million 
citizens  of  San  Francisco  on  that  fate- 
ful morning,  I  was  awakened  from  a 
sound  sleep  by  a  continuous  and  vio- 

lent  shaking   and  oscillation  of  my 

bed.  I  was  bewildered,  dazed,  and  only  awakened 
fully  when  my  wife  suddenly  screamed,  "Earth- 
quake !"  It  was  a  whopper,  bringing  with  it  a  ghastly 
sensation  of  utter  and  absolute  helplessness  and  an 
involuntary  prayer  that  the  vibrations  might  cease. 
Short  as  was  the  period  of  the  earth's  rocking,  it 
seemed  interminable,  and  the  fear  that  the  end 
would  never  come  dominated  the  prayer  and 
brought  home  with  tremendous  import  the  realiza- 
tion of  our  insignificance,  of  what  mere  atoms  we 
become  when  turned  on  the  wheel  of  destiny  in  the 
midst  of  such  abnormal  phenomena  of  nature's 
forces. 

It  was  5:15,  broad  daylight,  and  as  I  glanced  at 
my  watch  those  figures  were  indelibly  fixed  in  my 
memory  for  the  rest  of  my  existence.  The  terror 
and  horror  which  suddenly  sprang  like  a  beast  of 


.'5. 


The  Spirit  prey  out  of  the  gray  dawn  and  grasped  our  heart 
of  1906  strings,  came  unheralded  from  a  day  that  otherwise 
promised  all  that  should  make  life  worth  living.  The 
night  had  been  particularly  warm  and  inviting.  So 
vivid  was  this  impression  of  the  glory  of  the  morn- 
ing that  I  was  possessed  by  a  feeling  of  irony 
that  such  a  beginning  should  herald  the  in- 
ception of  so  bitter  a  calamity.  Fascinated,  I  stood 
gazing  at  a  weathervane  on  the  top  of  a  house 
across  the  street.  It  swayed  to  and  fro  like  the  light 
branch  of  a  tree  in  a  heavy  gale.  I  was  jarred  out  of 
my  inanition  by  a  terrific  shock.  The  house  lurched 
and  trembled  and  I  felt  that  now  was  the  end.  It 
was  afterward  discovered  that  this  crash  and  jar 
was  caused  by  the  falling  of  a  heavy  outside  chim- 
ney, attached  to  the  adjoining  house.  It  had  bro- 
ken and  struck  our  dwelling  at  about  the  first  floor 
level  and  torn  away  about  twenty  feet  of  the 
sheathing,  some  of  the  studding  and  left  a  big  hole 
through  which  the  dust  and  sound  poured  in  vol- 
umes, adding  to  the  already  almost  unbearable 
confusion. 

The  first  natural  impulse  of  a  human  being  in  an 
earthquake  is  to  get  out  into  the  open,  and  as  I 
and  those  who  were  with  me  were  at  that  particular 
moment  decidedly  human  in  both  mould  and  tem- 
perament, we  dressed  hastily  and  joined  the  group 
of  excited  neighbors  gathered  on  the  street.  Pale 
faced,  nervous  and  excited,  we  chattered  like  daws 
until  the  next  happening  intervened,  which  was 

[16] 


OFFICE  OF  THE  COMPANY,  No. 

230  CALIFORNIA  STREET,  SAN 

FRANCISCO,  FROM  JUNE  1905 

TO  APRIL  1 8,  1906. 


The  Spirit  the  approach  of  a  man  on  horseback  who  shouted 
of  1906  as  he  "Revere-d"  past  us  the  startling  news  that 
numerous  fires  had  started  in  various  parts  of  the 
city,  that  the  Spring  Valley  Water  Company's  feed 
main  had  been  broken  by  the  quake,  that  there 
was  no  water  and  that  the  city  was  doomed. 

This  was  the  spur  I  needed.  Fires  and  no  water! 
It  was  a  call  to  duty.  The  urge  to  get  downtown 
and  to  the  office  of  the  "California"  enveloped  me 
to  such  an  extent  that  my  terror  left  me.  Activity 
dominated  all  other  sensations  and  I  started  for 
the  office.  As  all  street  car  lines  and  methods  of 
transportation  had  ceased  to  operate  it  meant  a 
hike  of  about^  two  miles. 

*«|  *'*'«  Mytc6jur$£ 'wjas  down  Vallejo  street  to  Van  Ness 
avenue, ctKence  over  Pacific  street  to  Montgomery. 
cct%  c  |/MUhcji  Itfe^ljecl'the  top  of  the  hill  at  Pacific  street 
where  it  descends  to  the  business  section,  a  vision 
of  tremendous  destruction,  like  a  painted  picture, 
opened  before  my  eyes.  I  saw  fires  on  the  water  front, 
fires  in  the  commercial  district  and  also  porten- 
tous columns  of  smoke  hovering  over  the  southern 
part  of  the  city.  Then  like  a  blow  in  the  face  came 
the  realization  that  all  fire  fighting  facilities  were 
nil  owing  to  the  lack  of  water.  One  short  hour  pre- 
vious, San  Francisco  was  sleeping  peacefully  in  its 
prosperity,  and  now  the  sight  was  appalling.  Dev- 
astation, far  as  the  eye  could  see,  was  spelling  death 
and  destruction. 


My  route  was  down  Clay  street  from  Montgom-  The  Spirit 
ery  to  Sacramento.  In  that  one  block  I  counted  °f  I9°6 
twenty-one  dead  horses,  killed  by  falling  walls. 
They  had  belonged  to  the  corps  of  men  who  bring 
in  to  the  market  with  the  dawn  the  city's  supplies. 
When  I  reached  the  corner  of  California  and  San- 
some  streets  (the  California  office  being  one  block 
away  on  California  and- Battery)  I  found  a  rope 
stretched  across  from  the  Mutual  Life  Insurance 
Company  Building  to  the  site  where  the  Alaska 
Commercial  Company  building  now  stands.  All 
beyond  was  policed.  A  soldier  of  the  regular  army 
was  on  guard  and  no  one  was  permitted  to  pass. 
Arguments  and  beseechments  to  get  to  the  office 
were  of  no  avail.  The  necessity  and  the  emergency, 
however,  stimulated  my  determination  and  aroused 
my  ingenuity.  Suddenly,  I  ducked  under  the  rope 
and  ran  a  Marathon  which  was  not  only  a  surprise 
to  myself  but  also  to  the  officers  and  the  crowd 
who  yelled  after  me.  I  am  sure  that  in  this  one 
block  my  speed  record  for  a  flat  run  still  stands  un- 
equalled. 

I  reached  the  office  and  there  found  every  inti- 
mation of  a  hasty  departure  on  the  part  of  the 
janitor.  The  front  door  of  the  building  stood  wide 
open.  I  rushed  in,  threw  open  my  desk  and  hastily 
gathered  an  armful  of  what  I  deemed  were  the 
more  important  books  and  papers.  Glancing 
around  to  see  if  there  was  any  way  of  saving  any- 
thing else  I  again  received  a  jolt  by  noticing  that 

[19] 


The  Spirit  the  fire  was  coming  down  a  lightshaft  from  an  ad- 
of  1906  joining  building  and  through  an  open  window  into 
the  rear  office  of  the  ''California's"  office.  In  fact, 
furniture  was  already  burning  in  the  president's 
room.  This  was  no  place  for  me.  The  only  avenue 
of  escape  was  the  way  I  had  come,  since  so  rapid 
was  the  spread  of  the  conflagration  that  north, 
south  and  east  were  already  in  flames. 

Upon  reaching  California  street  I  rushed  and 
headed  west,  and  the  instant  I  had  passed,  the 
entire  four-story  outer  wall  of  the  building  located 
on  the  so.uthwest  corner  of  California  and  Battery 
streets  (then  known  as  the  "Insurance  Building "), 
fell  with  a  roar,  completely  blocking  the  street  over 
which  I  had  just  made  my  escape.  Realizing  that 
my  safety  was  measured  by  a  matter  of  seconds,  I 
was  for  a  moment  unnerved.  My  legs  trembled, 
my  heart  pounded  and  my  breath  came  quickly, 
and  only  by  a  great  exertion  of  will  induced  by  the 
thought  that  it  was  time  to  do  and  not  to  hesitate, 
I  made  the  effort  and  arrived  safely  at  the  rope 
from  which  I  had  started.  I  shook  as  if  with  the 
ague.  Sweat  and  grime  poured  from  me,  but  the 
shout  that  went  up  from  the  watching  crowd  and 
the  many  friendly  hands  that  sought  mine,  gave 
me  my  second  wind. 

I  had  already  made  up  my  mind  that  possibly 
the  Liverpool  and  London  and  Globe  Insurance 
Company  and  Colonel  C.  Mason  Kinne  would 
allow  me  to  store  within  their  vaults  whatever 

[20] 


salvage  I  had  taken  from  my  desk.  My  trust  in   The  Spirit 
their  courtesy  was  justified.  I  was  made  welcome  °f  f9°6 
and  the  Colonel,  in  the  name  of  the  company, 
placed  anything  and  everything  that  it  had  in  the 
shape  of  assistance  at  my  disposal. 

As  we  stood  talking  on  the  corner  of  California 
and  Leidesdorff  streets,  a  friend  still  living  in  San 
Francisco  who  had  an  office  in  the  Liverpool  and 
London  and  Globe  Building  suggested  to  me  that 
I  had  better  take  an  option  on  some  of  that  com- 
pany's vacant  rooms.  I  spoke  to  Colonel  Kinne,  a 
verbal  agreement  to  that  effect  was  made,  and  I 
turned  and  smilingly  remarked,  little  knowing 
what  the  future  had  in  store,  that  the  California 
Insurance  Company  would  resume  business  in  the 
Liverpool  and  London  and  Globe  Building  "to- 
morrow morning/' 

I  then  stood  and  watched  the  firemen  lower  a 
suction  pipe  through  a  manhole  in  the  middle  of 
the  street  and  pump  sewerage  on  to  the  old  Wells 
Fargo  Building.  It  had  about  as  much  effect  as  a 
garden  hose  and  the  supply  was  soon  exhausted. 
The  firemen  stood  perfectly  helpless,  like  soldiers 
without  ammunition,  in  front  of  the  enemy.  The 
fire  had  now  about  everything  east  of  Sansome 
street  and  in  the  absence  of  water  it  was  only  a 
question  of  one  or  two  days  at  most  when  the  en- 
tire city  would  be  in  ashes.  This  was  not  alone  my 
impression  but  the  same  ghastly  prospect  impressed 
itself  upon  all  those  who  were  gathered  in  the 
vicinity. 

[21] 


The  Spirit  The  minutes  had  ticked  off  until  it  was  now 
of  1906  about  g  a.  m.,  when  another  violent  shock  occurred 
— a  sort  of  postscript  to  the  original  5:15  temblor. 
It  was  of  short  duration  but  while  it  lasted  it  was 
decidedly  impressive.  The  crowd  scattered  and  I 
with  them,  for  we  suddenly  realized  that  another 
wall  might  fall  with  a  crash  and  that  we  might  be 
caught.  This  is  the  only  reason  I  can  assign  for  our 
agility  in  getting  away,  unless  it  might  be  that  we 
simply  followed  the  first  and  natural  impulse  of 
our  overwrought  nerves. 


[22] 


The  'Dominant  Thought 

s  THE  various  impressions  and  shocks 
succeeded  one  another,  there  always 
came  in  the  interim  the  dominant 
thought  of  the  California  Insurance 

Company.  This  thought  again  became 

uppermost  and  I  concluded  to  at  once  get  in  touch 
with  the  president.  I  proceeded  by  devious  ways 
over  bricks,  past  wreck  and  ruin,  through  the 
stunned  and  gaping  crowds,  until  I  reached  the 
St.  Francis  Hotel  where  he  resided,  and  finally 
found  him  in  the  lobby,  which  was  packed  by  an 
excited  throng  of  humanity.  If  ever  the  St.  Francis 
needed  the  S.  O.  S.  sign,  it  was  the  morning  of  this 
day.  Everybody  in  the  hotel  must  have  been,  with 
others,  in  the  lobby. 

The  president  was  in  his  usual  hopeful  and  opti- 
mistic frame  of  mind.  He  had  no  fear  whatever 
but  that  the  fire  would  be  shortly  under  control. 
How  this  was  to  be  brought  about,  he  could  not 
tell,  but  he  was  perfectly  satisfied  that  it  would  be 
done.  I  looked  at  the  man  in  wonder  and  admira- 
tion. Such  colossal  optimism  was  superb.  To  expect 


.23. 


The  Spirit  from  fate  what  appeared  to  me  to  be  the  impossible 
of  1906  was  indicative  of  a  hope  sublime.  I  envied  such  a 
nature.  It  was  not  only  a  great  asset  but  was  also  a 
great  solace  in  the  face  of  an  unprecedented  disas- 
ter. But  he  had  not  been  where  I  had  been  nor  had 
he  seen  what  I  had  seen. 

Then  my  thoughts  turned  toward  home  and  my 
depression  increased  almost  to  despair  as  I  walked 
past  the  wreck  and  ruin  and  through  the  crowds 
who  themselves  were  fleeing  in  indescribable  habil- 
iments and  with  all  sorts  of  futile  treasures  grasped 
in  their  hands. 

No  water!  Little,  if  any,  police  protection!  In 
fact,  nothing,  apparently,  except  Divinity  itself, 
to  prevent  the  conflagration  from  finally  burning 
to  the  ocean.  A  most  sublime  tragedy!  It  meant 
the  impoverishment  and  lack  of  homes  to  thou- 
sands; it  meant  the  sweeping  away  of  accumula- 
tions of  years  of  endeavor;  it  might  mean  starva- 
tion; it  meant  beginning  again  to  climb  the  uphill 
trail  to  success;  and  last,  but  worst,  it  meant  the 
tremendous  death  toll  either  from  immediate 
causes  or  from  after  effects.  Even  today,  years 
after  the  conflagration,  many  men  and  women 
live  in  San  Francisco  in  a  greater  or  less  degree  of 
ill  health,  the  seeds  of  which  were  planted  by  the 
terror  and  mental  strain  which  they  endured  on 
the  morning  of  that  day. 


Progress  of  the  Fire 


IHE  DAY  passed.  Neither  I  nor  any 
other  can  remember  all  the  details 
which  marked  the  hours  of  suspense. 
It  is  to  be  presumed  that  others  like 
myself  found  various,  and  what  then 
appeared  to  them  to  be  tremendous,  things  to 
claim  their  attention  and  then — the  second  day! 

The  fire  had  now  reached  Van  Ness  avenue  and 
again  came  the  messengers  on  horseback  who 
shouted  in  passing  that  everyone  must  move.  My 
home  was  on  Vallejo  street  about  five  blocks  be- 
yond Van  Ness  and  it  was  generally  believed  that 
inasmuch  as  that  street  was  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  wide  that  it  would  form  a  fire  break 
which  could  not  be  crossed.  Backfiring  had  already 
been  started  to  meet  the  oncoming  conflagration, 
but  everything,  including  the  elements,  seemed  to 
favor  destruction  and,  as  time  passed,  the  worry 
and  fear  increased.  Owing  to  inability  to  combat 
the  fire,  through  the  lack  of  water,  doubt  began  to 
creep  in  as  to  whether  the  width  of  Van  Ness  ave- 


The  Spirit  nue  and  the  puny  attempts  at  fire  fighting  would 
of  1906  check  the  march  of  the  flames. 

About  this  time  the  question  dawned  upon  my- 
self and  neighbors  as  to  what  we  should  do  with 
•  the  more  precious  of  our  personal  belongings.  Mr. 
Joseph  Weisbein,  a  friendly  neighbor,  since  dead, 
and  myself  evolved  a  scheme  to  bury  our  belong- 
ings in  the  garden  at  the  rear  of  my  house.  We 
assembled  four  trunks,  packed  these  with  silver- 
ware and  wearing  apparel,  and  some  of  the  hardest 
physical  work  I  have  ever  done  was  in  burying 
these  trunks,  digging  the  hole  with  a  worn  out 
shovel  and  a  broken  spade.  Then,  with  the  help  of 
our  Chinese  cook,  I  brought  out  of  the  cellar  a 
baby's  buggy  which  had  lain  forgotten  and  unused 
for  several  years.  We  loaded  it  with  bedding  and 
other  things  and  trundled  it  down  the  hill  to  Lobos 
Park  near  the  bay  shore.  Trip  after  trip  we  made 
before  we  decided  that  we  had  all  that  was  neces- 
sary or,  rather,  absolutely  needful  for  a  camp  exist- 
ence. The  next  question  was  shelter.  After  prowl- 
ing around  the  partially  quake-wrecked  gas  works, 
I  found  some  pieces  of  timber  out  of  which  I  con- 
structed a  sort  of  framework  for  a  large  A  tent.  I 
borrowed  a  hatchet  from  another  refugee,  a 
stranger  in  adversity.  The  disaster  had  broken 
down  the  barriers  of  formality  and  we  all  lent  a 
willing  hand  each  to  the  other.  I  secured  some 
spare  rope  and  got  up  my  framework.  This  was 
covered  to  windward  with  some  Indian  blankets 

[26] 


sewn  together  by  those  we  were  trying  to  make  The  Spirit 
comfortable.  Under  that  hastily  erected  rude  shel-  V  r9*~ 
ter  nineteen  people  slept  on  mattresses  that  night. 
I  did  not  have  the  good  fortune  to  sleep.  Sleep 
would  not  come  to  "knit  up  the  ravelled  sleeve  of 
care/'  and  through  the  long  hours  I  watched  the 
intermittent  flashes,  heard  the  noises  and  in  the 
darkness  went  through  the  added  suffering  of  over- 
strained nerves. 

A  neighbor,  J.  F.  D.  Curtis,  since  dead,  but  at 
that  time  and  for  years  after  the  manager  of  the 
"Providence  Washington  Insurance  Company/' 
passed  the  silent  watches  of  the  night  with  me, 
each  of  us  smoking  ourselves  blind  and  watching 
— talking  but  little,  although  thinking  and  feel- 
ing a  whole  lot.  We  were  a  mile  from  the  fire, 
nevertheless  it  was  so  light  that  a  newspaper  could 
easily  have  been  read  by  its  glow  from  the  time 
when  the  sun  set  on  the  ruins  to  the  hour  when  it 
rose  on  the  next  day  of  horror.  Curtis,  turning  and 
pointing  to  the  flaming  city,  inquired  in  quiet  tones 
if  the  California  Insurance  Company  could  pay  the 
bill.  I  replied  that  as  a  stockholder  in  the  company, 
I  felt  that  I  was  ruined  and  I  feared  that  the  com- 
pany would  "go  broke."  He  stated  that  he  be- 
lieved the  Providence  Washington  would  weather 
the  storm  and  if  the  worst  came  to  the  worst  with 
me,  he  would  like  to  have  me  join  him  in  the  man- 
agement of  the  company  he  represented.  It  was  a 
ray  of  sunshine.  It  was  a  beacon  of  hope.  It  was 

[27] 


The  Spirit  like  a  life  buoy  thrown  to  a  drowning  man,  and  I 
0/1906  shall  never  forget  the  encouragement  that  came 
with  his  offer  nor  the  gratitude  I  felt,  and,  al- 
though subsequent  events  have  shown  that  my 
first  fears  were  wrong,  my  gratitude  endures  to 
this  "day. 

The  night  passed  and  while  we  were  eating  a  cold 
breakfast,  principally  composed  of  sandwiches,  the 
man  on  horseback  arrived  again;  this  time,  how- 
ever, with  the  glad  tidings  that  the  fire  had  been 
stopped  at  Van  Ness  avenue  and  we  could  return 
to  our  homes.  It  was  afterward  learned  that  the 
salvaging  of  the  section  of  the  city  beyond  Van 
Ness  avenue  was  due  to  the  excellent  work  done  by 
two  salt  water  streams  pumped  from  the  bay  by 
tugs  stationed  at  the  foot  of  Van  Ness  avenue  and 
carried  along  by  relays  of  fire  engines.  So  intense 
and  so  furious  was  the  fire  that  while  one  set  of 
firemen,  their  heads  covered  with  blankets,  held 
the  hose,  the  second  stream  was  used  to  drench 
them,  also  the  engine.  Further  proof  of  the  fierce 
and  terrific  heat  was  shown  in  the  circumstance 
that  houses  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  to  one 
hundred  and  thirty-five  feet  across  the  avenue  had 
windows  cracked  and  paint  blistered.  The  last 
grand  heroic  stand  of  the  fire  fighters  was  made 
at  the  corner  of  Van  Ness  avenue  and  Vallejo 
streets. 

A  man  was  found  with  a  wagon  to  cart  our 
things  back  to  the  house  and,  while  we  did  not 


have  much  worldly  wealth  in  our  clothes,  we  were  The  Spirit 
prepared  to  pay  liberally.  Under  the  circumstances,  °f  *9°° 
when  his  modest  charge  of  two  dollars  was  met  we 
felt  that  he  had  earned  it  many  times  and  in  addi- 
tion, our  gratitude.  Arriving  at  the  residence,  we 
found  the  sidewalks  and  the  street  in  front  of  it 
three  inches  thick  with  ashes  and  cinders.  Now 
came  the  task  of  unearthing  the  trunks  and  with  it 
came  the  thought  that  had  this  section  been  en- 
tirely burned  how  difficult  it  might  have  been  to 
locate  the  place  where  they  had  been  buried. 
Necessity  for  action  and  to  be  up  and  doing  was 
too  strong,  however,  to  allow  time  for  any  such 
conjectures.  There  was  too  much  going  on  to  dwell 
on  post-mortems.  That  night  the  streets  were 
patrolled  by  marines  from  United  States  warships 
in  the  harbor,  whom  the  government  had  hurried 
to  the  scene  of  action  with  all  promptness  possible. 

No  lights  nor  fires  were  permitted  in  houses.  It 
was  either  retire  at  sundown  or  retire  in  the  dark. 
Whatever  water  was  needed  had  to  be  carried  from 
the  nearest  well  and  even  after  the  mains  had  been 
restored  to  normal  efficiency  this  practice  was  con- 
tinued for  fear  that  the  possibly  broken  sewers 
might  contaminate  or  pollute  the  water.  No  fires 
nor  cooking  were  permitted  in  any  building  until 
every  chimney  and  flue  had  been  passed  upon  by 
the  authorities. 

In  order  to  obtain  water  it  was  necessary  first  to 
procure  buckets,  then  carry  it  from  an  old  well  in 

[29] 


The  Spirit  Lafayette  Square,  some  dozen  blocks  away.  Baths 
of  1906  were  forgotten  and  shaving  was  a  luxury.  It  en- 
tailed severe  labor  to  secure  water  with  which  to 
prepare  the  necessities  of  life  and  to  maintain  a 
reasonable  degree  of  personal  cleanliness.  In  com- 
mon with  every  other  citizen  our  stove  was  placed 
on  the  curb  and  this  was  our  kitchen  and  dining 
room  for  over  six  weeks.  As  there  was  no  oven, 
baking  and  roasting  had  to  be  dispensed  with,  boil- 
ing and  frying  being  the  established  fashion. 

The  second  day  after  the  fire,  a  food  station  was 
opened  across  the  street  in  an  old  carriage  house 
which  belonged  to  Mr.  J.  L.  Flood.  Here  lines 
would  form  to  receive  rations,  the  millionaire  rub- 
bing shoulders  with  the  laborer.  The  panhandler 
got  as  much  as  the  plutocrat.  The  disaster  levelled 
all  classes.  A  million  dollars  in  one's  pocket  would 
have  been  of  little  use.  Nothing  could  be  bought 
with  it  and  it  could  not  serve  as  either  food  or 
drink. 


[30] 


(Betting 


ETWEENWHILES,  as  one  crisis  after  an- 
other came  and  went,  I  was  still  con- 
stant to  the  idea  and  still  felt  my  re- 
sponsibility to  the  California,  and 
_  from  time  to  time  as  circumstances 
permitted,  was  strenuously  endeavoring  to  reach 
the  directors  and  stockholders.  The  president,  in 
spite  of  his  optimism,  had  fled  from  the  Hotel  St. 
Francis  and  gone  to  the  home  of  his  mother  on  Clay 
and  Larkin  streets.  For  the  same  reason  he  left 
there  and  went  to  the  yards  of  the  Fulton  Iron 
Works  where  his  yacht  "Lady  Ada"  was  laid  up, 
got  her  off  the  ways  and  tacked  over  to  Tiburon 
where  he  remained  for  some  time.  Finally  word 
was  received  from  him  that  the  directors  of  the 
company  would  hold  a  meeting  at  the  Blake  and 
Moffitt  Building  on  the  corner  of  Eighth  and 
Broadway,  Oakland,  on  May  2,  1906.  Who  really 
located  them,  scattered  as  they  were,  and  finally 
got  them  together,  has  remained  an  unexplained 
mystery.  It  must  have  been  either  the  president 
or  Chief  Clerk  Shallenberger.  The  late  Mr.  James 


[31 


The  Spirit  Moffitt,  a  stockholder  in  the  company  and  the 
0/1906  owner  Of  the  building  named,  kindly  secured  for  us 
two  rooms  in  that  building  for  an  office.  They  were 
on  the  third  floor  facing  Broadway  and  the  location 
and  the  habitat  of  the  company  was  disclosed  by  a 
canvas  sign  which,  banner-like,  hung  upon  the 
outer  wall  proclaiming  this  to  be  the  office  of  the 
California  Insurance  Company.  For  furniture,  there 
was  a  flat  top  desk  and  a  typewriter  (both  second- 
hand) and  the  balance  of  the  equipment  was  hand- 
made, of  ordinary  lumber,  by  a  local  carpenter. 
There  was  not  very  much  cash  among  those  thus 
assembled,  but,  fortunately,  the  company  had 
maintained  a  deposit  in  an  Oakland  bank  and  this 
was  immediately  available  for  checking  purposes. 


[3*1 


OFFICE  OF  THE  COMPANY,  COR- 
NER OF  STH  AND  BROADWAY, 
OAKLAND,  CALIF.,  FROM  APRIL 
1906  TO  JUNE  1906. 


First  ^Ceeting  of  the  "Board 
of  directors 

UIETLY  and  almost  silently  the  direc- 
tors gathered.  The  only  emotion  ap- 
parent was  that  of  the  usual  caution 
shown  by  men  of  large  affairs  who 

meet  to  face  a  crisis.  The  president 

called  the  meeting  to  order  and  stated  that  the 
object  of  the  gathering  was  to  inform  the  directors 
that  the  company  was  heavily  involved  in  the  con- 
flagration which  visited  San  Francisco  on  April  18, 
19  and  20,  1906,  that  the  amount  of  which  obliga- 
tions was  at  present  unknown,  that  they  overshad- 
owed the  resources  of  the  company  and  that  ways 
and  means  would  have  to  be  devised  to  finance  the 
California  through  this  crisis. 

The  fire  maps  of  the  company  were  entirely  de- 
stroyed and  it  was  not  advisable  to  open  the  safe 
in  which  the  records  of  the  company  were  kept 
until  it  was  sufficiently  cool  to  prevent  danger  of 
combustion.  In  light  of  these  facts,  it  was  impos- 
sible to  immediately  ascertain  the  actual  amount 
of  the  company's  obligations. 


[35: 


The  Spirit  In  response  to  an  inquiry  as  to  the  probable  ex- 
of  1906  tent  Of  our  liabilities,  I,  as  secretary  of  the  com- 
pany, ventured  the  statement  that  I  believed  they 
would  reach  a  total  of  $1,500,000  net,  explaining 
that  I  based  this  estimate  upon  the  company's 
income  and  the  average  rate.  I  also  knew  that  the 
larger  part  of  the  entire  liabilities  in  San  Francisco 
were  in  the  burned  area  and  that  if  the  safe  did  not 
afford  protection  it  would  mean  the  loss  of  the 
company's  records,  leaving  it  without  means  of 
ascertaining  the  amount  of  the  loss  until  claims 
were  filed.  This  would  cause  a  delay  of  several 
months  before  the  exact  total  could  be  developed. 
I  explained  that  the  policy  contract  allowed  sixty 
days  for  filing  claims  and  expressed  the  thought 
that  this  limit  would  undoubtedly  be  extended  by 
legislative  action  in  view  of  the  magnitude  of  the 
disaster. 

In  the  meantime,  in  the  April  27  edition  of  the 
Examiner,  on  the  first  page,  extending  over  its 
entire  width,  had  appeared  the  following  state- 
ment: 

"THE    CALIFORNIA   INSURANCE    COMPANY   WILL 
PAY  IN  FULL." 

This  was  discussed  and  the  meeting  began  to 
assume  a  more  lively  interest  and  the  members  to 
more  actively  participate.  Director  W.  E.  Dean 
offered  a  resolution  that  has  passed  into  history 
as  being,  possibly,  the  most  noticeable  ever  adopted 
by  the  directors  of  a  fire  insurance  company.  It  is 

[36] 


a  question  whether  a  motion  under  like  conditions   The  Spirit 
had  ever  before  been  put  or  carried  or  ever  will  be  °f  f9°6 
in  the  future.  This  motion  was  seconded  by  Di- 
rector Mark  L.  Gerstle.  It  was  as  follows: 

That  the  action  of  the  president  of  this  corpora- 
tion in  publicly  announcing  that  the  California  In- 
surance Company  would  pay  all  its  losses  in  full  as 
ascertained  and  adjusted,  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby 
confirmed  and  ratified,  provided  that  each  of  the 
directors  of  the  corporation  affixes  his  signature  to 
the  matters  of  this  meeting.  Unless  such  ratification 
be  unanimous  and  evidenced  by  the  signature  of 
each  director  to  the  matters  of  this  meeting,  the 
above  action  of  the  board  be  null  and  void. 

The  signature  of  each  and  every  director  was 
subsequently  affixed  to  this  resolution  and  it  then 
remained  a  matter  of  detail  to  find  how  funds  were 
to  be  procured  to  make  this  resolution  possible  of 
fulfillment  and  something  more  than  a  mere  matter 
of  words 

In  the  absence  of  any  specific  or  definite  infor- 
mation as  to  the  amount  of  the  company's  indebt- 
edness this  action  of  the  directors  was  a  most  mag- 
nificent exemplification  of  nerve  and  integrity  and 
a  superb  testimony  reinforcing  the  axiom  that  a 
California  man's  word  is  as  good  as  his  bond. 

The  board  might  have  instructed  its  secretary 
to  make  the  best  compromise  settlements  possible 
and  have  wound  up  the  affairs  of  the  corporation. 
The  public  mind  was  in  a  receptive  mood  to  accept 
such  compromise  settlements  and  such  action 

[371 


The  Spirit  would  have  resulted  in  extreme  financial  advan- 
qf  1906  tage  to  tjle  stockholders  at  the  time  when  the  reso- 
lution was  passed.  No  one  at  that  time  believed 
that  the  California  would  discharge  its  obligations 
on  a  parity  with  the  largest  and  strongest  insur- 
ance companies  in  the  world.  Indeed  the  public 
announcement  that  the  company  would  pay  in  full 
was  regarded  as  ridiculous  and  unbelievable  and 
was  generally  considered  in  the  light  of  an  ex- 
tremely sagacious  bluff. 

The  directors  of  the  company  were  not  bluffers; 
they  were  made  of  different  stuff.  They  did  not 
hesitate.  They  were  in  deadly  earnest  and  abso- 
lutely meant  to  live  up  to  their  spoken  word  and 
the  world  knows  how  they  redeemed  their  prom- 
ises. 

My  original  estimate  of  $1,500,000  fell  far  short 
of  the  final  net  payment  which  amounted  to 
$1,840,000,  but  long  before  this  had  developed  the 
stockholders  were  too  deeply  involved  to  think  of 
turning  back  even  had  they  desired  to  do  so. 
Staunchly  and  loyally  they  stayed  and  paid  to  the 
end,  building  a  monument  to  their  good  name 
that  turned  the  sneers  of  welshing  competitors 
into  envy  and  admiration. 


[38: 


Second  zJtiteeting  of  the  Board 
of  ^Directors 

N  THE  advance  of  the  company,  the 
next  historical  date  of  importance 
was  May  n,  1906,  when  the  succeed- 
ing meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors 
was  held  at  the  home  of  Director 
Mark  L.  Gerstle,  2350  Washington  street,  San 
Francisco.  Again,  I  was  called  upon  to  bring  bad 
news.  I  was  compelled  to  inform  the  Board  of 
Directors  that  all  the  records  of  the  company  had 
been  destroyed  as  the  safe  which  contained  them 
had  been  smashed  by  falling  walls  and  the  contents 
absolutely  obliterated.  The  only  thing  recovered 
was  some  rolls  of  silver  coins  melted  together  by 
the  intense  heat.  I  also  reported  that  three  hundred 
and  fifty  claims  had  been  filed  for  an  amount  total- 
ling over  $650,000. 

The  loss  of  the  records  was  a  very  serious  matter 
and  complicated  proceedings  to  a  degree  appar- 
ently almost  insurmountable.  Lost  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  safe  were  some  $900,000  in  re-insurance 


[39] 


The  Spirit  policies.  This  meant  restoration  of  this  data  from 
0/1906  the  records  Of  the  re-insuring  companies  and  at 
that  time  this  looked  like  a  superhuman  undertak- 
ing. However,  I  immediately  detailed  two  em- 
ployes with  instructions  to  devote  their  entire  time 
to  this  angle  of  affairs.  The  companies  met  the  situ- 
ation with  every  courtesy  and  finally  after  several 
months'  exertion  all  of  the  re-insurance  was  lo- 
cated, with  the  exception  of  about  $18,000. 

I  do  not  like  to  harbor  the  thought,  but  never- 
theless I  feel  that  some  company  or  companies, 
possibly  still  doing  business,  know  that  they  owe 
the  California  some  part  of  this  re-insurance,  which 
goes  to  show  that  in  the  insurance  business,  as  in 
other  enterprises,  there  are  those  who  cannot  bear 
the  light  of  day. 

About  twelve  months  after  the  "Big  Fire"  I 
remember  having  received  a  re-insurance  claim 
from  a  company  whose  home  office  is  in  New  York. 
As  this  particular  company  was  one  of  the  very 
few  that  declined  to  respond  to  the  request  to 
assist  us  in  restoring  the  lost  data,  I  thought  it  the 
better  part  of  wisdom  to  ask  it  to  furnish  the  in- 
formation previously  requested,  holding  up  their 
claim  in  the  meantime  while  awaiting  their  reply. 
It  never  came,  and  their  claim  against  the  Cali- 
fornia still  remains  unpaid.  The  conclusion  is  too 
glaring  to  need  further  comment.  A  few  similar 
instances  might  be  recorded  but  they  are  best  for- 
gotten. 

[40] 


This  meeting  also  made  history.  It  levied  the  The  Spirit 
first  assessment  of  $40  per  share  on  the  six  thou-  °f  *9°6 
sand  shares  of  capital  stock  of  the  corporation. 
This  would  bring  in  $240,000  and  was  subsequently 
followed,  month  by  month,  by  seven  others,  until 
the  total  assessment  had  reached  $305  per  share, 
amounting  in  all  to  $1,830,000,  of  which  $1,800,- 
ooo,  or  98  per  cent,  to  the  everlasting  glory  of  the 
stockholders  of  the  California,  be  it  said,  was  paid. 
The  resolution  bringing  this  about  was  as  fol- 
lows: 

"Notice  is  hereby  given  that  at  a  meeting  of  the 
directors  held  on  the  nth  day  of  May,  1906,  an 
assessment  of  forty  (40)  dollars  per  share  was  levied 
upon  the  capital  stock  of  the  corporation  payable 
on  or  before  the  ijth  day  of  June,  1906,  to  Mark  L. 
Gerstle,  assistant  secretary,  at  the  principal  place  of 
business  of  the  corporation,  No.  2350  Washington 
street,  San  Francisco,  Cal.  Any  stock  upon  which 
this  assessment  shall  remain  unpaid  on  the  ijth  day 
of  June,  1906,  will  be  delinquent  and  will  be  adver- 
tised for  sale  at  public  auction,  and  unless  payment 
is  made  before  will  be  sold  on  the  2d  day  of  July, 
1906,  at  2  o'clock  p.  m.  to  pay  the  delinquent  assess- 
ment, together  with  cost  of  advertising  and  expenses 
of  sale." 


.41 


The  '"Dollar  for  'Dollar" 
'Resolution 

T  BECAME  my  duty  to  inform  the  di- 
rectors that  a  meeting  of  the  repre- 
sentatives of  all  the  fire  insurance 
companies  interested  in  the  confla- 

gration  was  called  for  an  early  date  at 

Reed's  Hall,  Oakland,  and  that  I  understood  the 
principal  object  of  this  meeting  was  to  secure  an 
expression  of  opinion  as  to  the  method  to  be 
adopted  in  settling  San  Francisco  losses,  whether 
seventy-five  cents  on  the  dollar  should  be  paid  or 
settlement  on  a  100  per  cent  basis  be  made,  and  I 
requested  instructions.  This  was  merely  pro  forma 
as  the  company  had  already  announced  its  position 
publicly  as  being  in  favor  and  promising  to  pay 
cent  for  cent  the  full  obligation  of  its  contracts. 
The  board  gave  me  the  instructions  I  had  expected. 
The  meeting  at  Reed's  Hall  was  a  most  memor- 
able one.  The  late  Geo.  W.  Spencer,  at  that  time 
manager  of  the  Aetna  Insurance  Company,  pre- 
sided, and  to  his  fair  and  impartial  rulings  and 

[43] 


The  Spirit  usual  courtesy  and  dignity  of  manner,  is  attribut- 
of  1906  a]3je  f-j^  fact  t-jiat  there  was  not  considerably  more 
friction  than  developed.  Even  as  it  was,  the  discus- 
sions were  acrid  and  verged  at  times  close  to  per- 
sonalities and  the  oratory,  especially  on  the  part  of 
those  who  advocated  the  "six-bit"  policy,  was  both 
perfervid  and  vociferous.  However,  the  representa- 
tives of  the  companies  that  had  made  up  their 
minds  that  their  honor  and  contracts  were  worth 
dollar  for  dollar  had  little  to  say  and  were  not 
influenced  by  the  alleged  arguments  of  the  "six-bit- 
ers." 

They  felt  that  in  the  last  analysis  there  was  no 
logical,  honest  argument  for  the  discounting  of 
payments  unless  it  were  a  case  of  absolute  insol- 
vency with  individual  companies.  It  was  main- 
tained by  the  opponents  to  the  "six-bit"  policy  that 
the  insuring  public  had  paid  for  what  it  assumed  to 
be  valid  contracts  and  was  entitled  to  just  indem- 
nity and  payment  in  full.  Finally,  the  roll  call  came 
to  ascertain  the  sense  of  the  meeting — seventy-five 
cents  or  one  dollar.  The  roll  call  was  thrilling  in  the 
intensity  of  feeling  it  developed  and  in  the  position 
in  which  it  revealed  each  company's  standing, 
whether  for  an  honorable  fulfillment  on  the  one 
hand  or  a  dishonorable  scaling  of  losses  on  the 
other.  Alphabetically,  the  California  Insurance 
Company  came  early  in  the  list  and  I  voted  with 
those  who  felt  their  obligation  to  be  one  hundred 
cents  on  the  dollar.  The  position  which  the  Cali- 

[44] 


"REEDS     HALL,"     OAKLAND, 

CALIF.,  WHERE  THE  "DOLLAR 

FOR     DOLLAR"     RESOLUTION 

WAS  ADOPTED. 


The  Spirit  fornia  would  take  had  been  awaited  with  consider- 
0/1906  akje  interest.  The  public  announcement  that  the 
company  would  pay  dollar  for  dollar  was  still  re- 
cent and  this  announcement  had  appealed  to 
nearly  every  person  at  that  gathering  as  a  promise 
which  the  company  was  absolutely  and  physically 
unable  to  perform.  The  registering  of  the  vote 
called  forth  quite  a  demonstration.  Laughter, 
smiles  and  sarcasm  predominated  in  the  part  of 
the  hall  where  I  was  located.  For  a  moment  I  was 
the  center  of  attraction. 

Despite  the  embarrassment  and  annoyance  un- 
der which  I  labored,  I  felt  that  I  was  called  upon 
'  i;bfcldeferi(^(«<t|hfer«i'goOd  name  of  the  company  and, 
gaining  Recognition  from  the  chairman,  I  said  that 
//«  Mfe  pakhper  m  wljich  the  "California"  voted  seemed 
to  cause  some  of  those  present  considerable  amuse- 
ment and  that,  individually,  I  didn't  see  anything 
in  it  that  was  funny;  that  it  was  more  of  a  tragedy 
than  a  comedy,  and  that  it  was  a  solemn  and  ser- 
ious matter  for  the  company  of  which  I  was  the 
representative  to  go  on  record  for  the  second  time, 
publicly,  as  pledging  itself  to  pay  so  tremendous 
an  amount  of  money  out  of  the  pockets  of  its  stock- 
holders; that  I  was  present  at  the  meeting  to  carry 
out  the  expressed  instructions  and  wishes  of  these 
same  stockholders  and  that  they  intended  to  be 
scrupulously  careful  in  keeping  their  promises, 
backing  their  words  with  their  deeds  and  dollars. 
This  statement  brought  from  the  dollar-for-dollar 

[46] 


companies  a  gratifying  amount  of  applause  and  the  The  Spirit 
"six-bit-ers"  sank  into  silence.  °f  f9°° 

As  the  days  passed  and  the  "tumult  and  shout- 
ing "  died,  it  gave  a  certain  amount  of  satisfaction 
to  find  that  amongst  the  jeerers  and  sneerers  at  the 
memorable  Reed's  Hall  meeting,  those  who  had 
battled  most  vigorously  for  the  horizontal  cut  of 
twenty-five  cents  were  those  who  afterward  de- 
veloped into  the  worst  welshers  and  shavers  in  the 
entire  history  of  the  loss  settlements  of  the  San 
Francisco  or  any  other  conflagration.  The  "spark- 
ling" Rhine,  the  "still"  Moselle,  the  far-famed 
"Dutchess,"  the  German  of  Freeport,  the  Traders 
of  Chicago,  the  Austrian  Phoenix,  the  Calumet, 
the  American  of  Boston  and  others  soon  after 
sought  the  seclusion  which  a  receiver  or  cessation 
of  business  in  California  grants,  and  like  the  Arab, 
they  folded  their  tents  and  silently  stole  away. 

At  the  termination  of  the  meeting,  President 
Chase  of  the  Hartford,  President  Damon  of  the 
Springfield,  Chairman  Spencer  and  several  others, 
all  leaders  in  dollar-for-dollar  ranks,  some  of  whom 
are  alive  and  some  of  whom  are  gone,  gathered 
around  and  congratulated  the  California  upon  its 
attitude.  Individually,  it  gave  me  a  feeling  of  pride 
and  satisfaction  to  be  the  representative  of  a  com- 
pany which  manfully  stood  up  to  the  rack  with  the 
best  traditions  of  American  fire  insurance.  It  may 
be  well  to  recall  to  mind  as  a  historical  fact  that 
it  was  at  this  meeting  the  term  "dollar-for-dollar" 
companies  was  born. 

[47] 


(Doming  Back  to  San  Francisco 

ARLY  IN  June  we  made  arrangements 
to  vacate  our  quarters  in  Oakland  in 
the  Blake  and  Moffitt  Building,  and 
on  the  5th  of  that  month  the  Califor- 

nia  was  moved  to  an  office  in  San 

Francisco.  This  was  a  temporary  frame  structure 
erected  on  identically  the  same  site  which  the 
company  had  occupied  prior  to  the  fire,  and  where 
the  magnificent  new  skyscraper  known  as  the 
"Newhall"  Building  now  stands.  As  things  go 
now,  it  was  not  much  of  an  office  either  as  to  style 
or  appearance,  but  it  was  roomy,  light,  well  ven- 
tilated and  comfortable  and  in  every  respect  pref- 
erable to  the  two  crowded  rooms  that  had  so  hos- 
pitably housed  us  in  Oakland.  The  return  to  San 
Francisco  heartened  us.  The  daily  trip  from  the 
city  to  Oakland  and  return  had  been  a  hardship,  in 
addition  to  the  time  lost  when  every  minute  was 
too  precious  to  be  wasted.  Less  time  was  lost  in 
crossing  the  bay  than  in  getting  to  and  from  the 
Ferry.  The  street  cars  were  not  in  operation  and  I 
was  compelled  daily  to  make  the  walk  over  the 


[49] 


The  Spirit  hills  and  through  the  ruins  threading  my  way 
0/1906  through  the  ashes  and  over  brick  piles  a  distance 
of  quite  two  miles,  from  my  home  to  the  water 
front.  This  twice  a  day  for  six  days  a  week,  and 
often  seven,  was  exhausting  in  the  extreme,  so  the 
wear  was  not  altogether  mental.  The  thought  was 
very  often  in  my  mind  that  I  had  about  the  most 
trying  job  of  anyone  in  the  business.  Other  mana- 
gers seemed  to  me  to  be  paying  very  little  atten- 
tion, if  any,  to  the  detail  of  settling  claims  and,  of 
course,  had  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  providing 
the  sinews  of  war.  They  were  fortunate  in  being 
able  to  pursue  the  even  tenor  of  their  way,  their 
entire  business  and  time  being  occupied  with  cur- 
rent routine,  just  as  if  nothing  of  an  extraordinary 
nature  had  happened.  This  condition  arose  from 
the  fact  that  the  companies  in  the  East  hurried  to 
San  Francisco  and  Oakland  all  the  adjusters,  both 
near  and  alleged,  that  they  could  obtain  from  any 
portion  of  the  United  States  and  a  few  from 
abroad,  in  order  that  the  losses  might  be  promptly 
taken  care  of.  The  home  offices  saw  to  it  that 
the  funds  were  provided.  The  special  agents  and 
field  men  of  these  offices  were  not  disturbed  in 
their  usual  work  and  were  rarely,  if  ever,  made  use 
of  at  headquarters  to  make  adjustments.  With  the 
California  it  was  quite  different.  Our  entire  field  force 
was  called  in  and  promptly  clothed  with  authority 
to  adjust.  This  left  our  agency  plant  entirely  un- 
protected as  to  cultivation.  Financially,  we  were 


,5°. 


OFFICE  OF  THE  COMPANY,  No. 

230     CALIFORNIA     ST.,     SAN 

FRANCISCO,  CALIF.,  FROM  JUNE 

1906  TO  SEPTEMBER  1907. 


The  Spirit  in  such  a  crippled  condition  that  we  felt  we  could 
of  1906  not  afforci  the  expense  of  employing  independent 
adjusters.  These  were  a  luxury  in  any  event  and 
some  of  them,  alas,  would  have  been  dear  at  any 
price.  The  thought  often  comes  that  perhaps  this 
policy  was  poor  economics.  This  was   a  golden 
opportunity  for  representatives  of  the  "dollar-for- 
dollar"  companies  to  secure  valuable  agents,  as 
ecccarrying  capacity  was  in  large  demand  to  replace 
'Jthpse  (ctamj^ijiiiest  that  had  either  failed  or  made 
t  .unsatisfactory  Loss  settlements.  That  there  was  an 
cc i\ '  ^b&tifcUrice  .of/ l«th$*  latter   admits  of  no  dispute. 
Possibly,  we  might  not  at  that  time  have  been  able 
to  secure  many  of  these  valuable  connections,  even 
if  we  had  had  the  field  force  requisite  for  the  re- 
quired technical  work,  for  the  reason  that  doubts 
were  still  expressed  as  to  our  ability  to  fulfill  our 
promises. 


^Duties  of  the  Secretary 

N  THE  California  Insurance  Company 
office,  the  position  of  secretary  was 
closely  akin  to  that  of  the  celebrated 
"Pooh-Bah."  Attached  to  the  office 
was  the  duty  of  collecting  the  assess- 
ments on  the  capital  stock,  adjuster  in  chief,  the 
underwriting,  a  court  of  appeal  on  technical  points 
in  disputed  settlements,  a  diplomatic  agency  and 
encouragement  dispensatory  with  and  for  the 
stockholders.  The  latter  item  took  considerable 
time.  Singly  and  in  groups  they  fired  their  ques- 
tions: "How  many  assessments  will  there  be?" 
"How  much  do  you  think  the  losses  will  total?" 
"How  soon  will  you  know  the  amount?"  "When 
we  do  get  out  of  this  shall  we  be  as  big  as  any  other 
fire  company  or  bigger?"  This  was  the  daily  grind. 
But  since  it  was  their  money  and  they  were  lay- 
men, their  anxiety  was  as  pardonable  as  their  cour- 
age was  commendable. 

The  president  occupied  an  office  on  the  other 
side  of  the  hall,  directly  opposite  mine.  The  one 
door  was  lettered  "President"  and  the  other 
"Secretary." 

[53] 


The  Spirit  One  of  the  stockholders  cornered  me  and  de- 
0/1906  manc[ecl  a  full  and  explicit  statement  of  condi- 
tions. I  gave  him  the  facts  and  frankly  confessed 
that  the  prospect  was  not  alluring.  He  bade  me 
goodbye  with  a  long  face  and  went  directly  across 
the  hall  into  the  office  of  the  president.  In  a  brief 
while,  he  returned,  his  face  wreathed  in  smiles, 
and  quietly  said  cthat  the  president's  office  was 
"Heaven"  and  my  office  was  "Hell";  that  I  was  a 
"gloomy  Gus"  anyway,  but  I  couldn't  help  it  and 
be  pitied  me,  but  as  for  the  president,  be  was  the 
right  man  in  the  right  place,  and  he  knew  our 
exact  position/  I  did  not  make  any  reply.  The  opti- 
mism of  the  president  was  a  very  great  asset  and 
in  those  days  optimism  and  hope  were  at  a  pre- 
mium. 


Turning  of  the  Tide 

INALLY  the  tide  turned.  Several  months 
had  elapsed,  however,  before  it  be- 
came generally  known  and  admitted 
and  the  insurance  world  had  ham- 

mered  into  it  the  conviction  that  the 

California  was  truly  "Californian."  At  this  time 
our  field  men  were  again  in  the  saddle  and  the 
agency  of  the  California  was  not  only  readily 
accepted  whenever  offered,  but  eagerly  pleaded  for 
by  connections  which  materially  contributed  to 
subsequent  success. 


^Adjustments 

HERE  ARE  millions  of  stories  with  re- 
gard to  the  adjustment  and  settle- 
ment of  claims  during  this  period. 
All  kinds  of  pressure,  all  kinds  of  se- 
duction and  all  kinds  of  bribes  were 
offered  the  adjusters.  There  appeared  to  be  in  the 
minds  of  many  a  conviction  that  this  was  the  time 
to  make  a  claim  against  the  insurance  companies; 
that  everything  was  burned  and  that  with  the 
upset  conditions  any  old  claim  could  get  by. 
Stevedores,  laborers  and  others  not  generally 
credited  with  an  excess  amount  of  worldly  wealth 
gayly  and  festively  swore  to  proofs  showing  the 
loss  of  family  plate,  ancestral  pictures,  silk  under- 
wear, ball  gowns,  evening  clothes  and  jewels. 
There  was  no  possibility  of  disciplining  these  per- 
jurors  and  it  was  up  to  the  expertness  of  the  adjust- 
ers to  defend  their  companies  from  being  looted. 

There  were  all  kinds  of  attempts  to  defraud 
on  the  part  of  other  policyholders.  One  instance 
in  which  the  California  was  interested  was  a 
proof  for  a  $16,000  loss  on  a  policy  covering  on 


The  Spirit  stock  of  dry  and  fancy  goods  located  in  a  building 
0/1906  on  Market  street.  I  received  a  visit  from  the  pol- 
icyholder  who  made  a  request  for  prompt  pay- 
ment. I  explained  that  our  funds  were  being  raised 
by  assessments  which  were  levied  once  a  month 
and  that,  if  agreeable,  we  would  pay  him  sixty 
per  cent  of  his  claim  and  the  balance  in  sixty  days. 
This  appeared  to  be  satisfactory  and  he  left  in 
a  happy  frame  of  mind.  Thirteen  thousand 
dollars  of  the  risk  in  question  was  ceded  to  other 
companies  and  we  naturally  filed  claims  with  the 
reinsurers  for  their  proportion.  The  following  day  a 
friend  who  was  acting  as  chief  adjuster  for  another 
office  which  was  one  of  the  re-insurers  on  this  risk, 
called  upon  me  regarding  this  particular  claim.  He 
laid  upon  my  desk  a  photographic  album  and  called 
my  attention  to  a  large  photograph  of  the  building 
wherein  the  stock  was  located.  It  was  a  two-story 
brick  and  the  picture  showed  that  the  entire  front 
of  the  second  story  had,  as  the  result  of  the  earth- 
quake, been  thrown  into  the  street.  This  was  taken 
before  the  fire  had  reached  the  property.  He  stated 
that  the  authenticity  of  the  photograph  was  abso- 
lutely guaranteed  and  that  in  event  of  litigation, 
the  testimony  of  the  photographer  was  available. 
He  further  stated  that  acting  for  the  re-insuring 
company,  he  would  not  follow  the  California  for 
more  than  sixty-five  cents  on  the  dollar.  I  bor- 
rowed the  photograph  and  at  once  sent  for  the 
claimant.  He  called  the  next  day.  It  was  found  on 

[58] 


examination  that  he  had  made  the  statement  to  The  Spirit 
the  general  adjustment  committee  that  the  prop-  °J Z9°6 
erty  was  not  damaged  prior  to  the  fire.  Unfor- 
tunately, no  affidavit  was  taken  from  him  to  that 
effect.  With  the  photograph  before  me,  I  realized 
at  once  that  the  claim  was  not  an  honest  one.  I 
explained  that  the  larger  part  of  our  policy  had 
been  ceded  to  other  companies  and  that  some  of 
them  demanded  earthquake  affidavits  with  every 
claim;  that  while  I  regretted  to  put  him  to  any 
inconvenience,  it  would  be  necessary  for  him  to 
produce  this  testimony.  He  looked  me  squarely  in 
the  eye  and  said,  "I'll  sign  it  and  swear  to  it.  Not 
a  brick  in  the  whole  building  was  disturbed."  He 
attached  his  signature  to  the  affidavit.  I  showed 
him  the  photograph  and  then  stated  that  we  should 
be  compelled  to  penalize  him  to  the  extent  of 
thirty-five  cents  on  the  dollar.  As  a  matter  of 
equity,  there  was  little,  if  any,  liability  under  the 
policy.  He  shouted,  "Fake!"  "No,"  I  replied, 
"simply  a  matter  of  contractural  rights  and  of 
justice.  The  picture  is  absolutely  bona  fide."  He 
left,  emphatically  stating  that  he  would  at  once 
"go  to  the  bat."  I  suggested  that  he  submit  the 
matter  to  his  attorney.  Fortunately  for  him,  he 
had  a  wise  one  who  promptly  advised  that  he 
accept  the  terms  offered. 

This  is  another  angle  of  the  settlement  of  the 
San  Francisco  losses — no  more  nor  less  in  fact, 
methods,  and  manner,  than  that  with  which  other 
legitimate  companies  had  to  contend. 

[59] 


The  Spirit  Another  instance  is  recalled  of  a  claim  for  a 
0/1906  thousand  dollars  covering  on  lodging  house  furni- 
ture in  a  building  on  Sixth  street,  with  the  loss 
made  payable  to  the  owner  of  the  building.  I  sup- 
posed that  the  policy  was  collateral  for  payment 
of  rent.  It  developed  that  the  claimant  was  a 
widow  with  one  child.  She  was  without  a  cent 
in  the  world,  and  called  to  request  payment.  By 
this  time  the  company  was  running  short  of  ready 
funds  to  such  an  extent  that  instructions  had  been 
issued  to  adjusters  that  all  claims  hereafter  would 
take  the  customary  sixty  days  before  payment. 
She  stated  that  the  fire  had  cancelled  her  lease, 
that  she  had  seen  the  payees  and  that  they  would 
waive  the  claim  and  that  she  was  absolutely  desti- 
tute and  would  be  willing  to  take  whatever  we 
would  offer,  if  she  could  get  the  cash.  The  position 
of  the  company  was  explained  to  her  with  the 
result  that  she  felt  that  we  were  working  for  a  dis- 
count. But  it  was  not  the  intention  of  the  Cali- 
fornia to  take  advantage  of  people's  necessities 
and  we  informed  her  that  such  was  the  case.  Her 
claim  was  a  just  one.  I  accepted  her  proofs,  paid 
her  twenty-five  per  cent  cash  and  the  balance  at 
the  end  of  thirty -days.  These  are  but  isolated  in- 
stances among  many. 


Special  tweeting  of 
Stockholders 

MOTHER  historical  meeting  was  held 
August  gth.  This  time  at  the  office  of 
the  company.  It  was  a  special  meeting 
of  the  stockholders.  Three  assess- 
ments had  been  levied  of  forty  dollars 
each,  amounting  in  all  to  $720,000.  This  money 
had  been  paid  out  in  settlement  of  claims.  This 
was  the  first  meeting  of  the  stockholders  proper 
since  the  fire.  The  directors  realized  that  in  re- 
sponse to  inquiries  from  the  stockholders  who  were 
principally  interested  that  they  were  entitled  to  a 
report  as  to  the  progress  made  and  the  policy  to  be 
adopted  for  the  future.  Over  ninety  individual 
stockholders  were  present  and  in  order  to  accom- 
modate the  crowd,  the  employes  removed  their 
desks  and  chairs,  and  during  the  time  of  the  meet- 
ing adjusted  losses  and  discharged  their  duties  on 
the  sidewalk  in  front  of  the  building.  The  early- 
comers  had  seats.  The  late-comers  stood,  but  so 
interesting  was  the  meeting  that  discomforts  were 


[61 


The  Spirit  forgotten.  The  president  made  a  very  full  and 
0/1906  analytical  report,  finishing  with  the  announcement 
that  another  million  dollars  would  be  needed  to 
continue  the  splendid  work  and  accomplish  the 
final  result  of  bringing  the  California  through  the 
disaster  with  justice,  equity  and  fairness  to  all  its 
contract-holders.  The  atmosphere  was  charged 
with  optimism  and  enthusiasm  and  amongst  all 
the  speeches  made,  and  they  were  many,  not  one 
bore  any  intimation  of  regret  or  of  any  desire  to  do 
other  than  march  steadily  ahead.  Mr.  Ignatz  Stein- 
hart,  at  the  time  manager  of  the  Anglo-Californian 
Bank,  careful,  cautious,  shrewd  and  a  hard-headed 
financier,  in  his  speech  practically  struck  the  key- 
note of  the  whole  meeting.  He  said  in  substance: 

"  I  have  lived  here  many  years  and  I  expect  to  die 
here.  I  love  San  Francisco  and  I  know  you  all  feel 
the  same  and  it  is  my  honest  conviction  that  the 
directors  of  the  California  have  adopted  the  proper 
and  only  course  and  that  its  stockholders  will  stand 
behind  them,  and  that  the  company  will  pay  its 
losses  at  the  rate  of  one  hundred  cents  on  the  dollar 
without  discount.  I  now  present  a  motion  that  it  is 
the  sense  of  this  meeting  that  the  Board  of  Directors 
be  given  all  that  they  request  and  that  all  their 
actions  are  hereby  heartily  ratified,  approved  and 
confirmed." 

There  was  not  a  single  dissenting  vote.  At  this 
time  a  stockholder  enthusiastically  jumped  on  his 
chair  and  proposed  three  cheers  for  the  company 
and  the  management.  The  clerks  on  the  sidewalk 

[62] 


and  some  of  the  passersby  rushed  into  the  crowd  The  Spirit 
to  see  what  was  the  cause  of  the  commotion.  °f  f9°6 
When  the  meeting  adjourned,  the  confidence  of  all 
was  renewed.  The  barometer  of  their  enthusiasm 
and  determination  had  risen  and  smiles  and  hand- 
shakes put  the  period  to  the  gathering.  Seldom,  if 
ever,  has  an  Irish  dividend  meeting  been  held  and 
disbursed  with  such  a  wholesome  feeling  of  satis- 
faction. It  was  more  like  a  "melon  cutting"  than  a 
preparation  to  excavate  to  still  lower  depths  their 
pocketbooks.  Never  was  the  true  California  spirit 
more  faithfully  portrayed. 


The  Final  Supreme  Effort 


HE  ANNUAL  statement  of  the  company 
at  the  end  of  the  year  showed  beyond 
the  peradventure  of  a  doubt  that  the 
company  had  kept  the  faitby  but  it 
was  left  with  a  very  attenuated  sur- 
plus. Then  business  began  to  grow  by  leaps  and 
)ounds.  The  bread  which  had  been  cast  upon  the 
waters  was  returning  and  another  problem  now 
confronted  the  company — to  protect  the  reserves 
on  the  rapidly  increasing  income.  This  required  a 
working  surplus  and  meant  more  assessments 
which  seemed  to  be  adding  insult  to  injury.  The 
stockholders  had  already  provided  the  funds  to 
pay  losses  and  to  now  ask  for  more  money  for  any 
other  than  loss-paying  purposes,  gallant  as  was  the 
spirit  of  those  directly  interested,  seemed  danger- 
ous. The  directors  and  some  of  the  more  prominent 
stockholders  met  informally  and  discussed  the 
situation  and  the  concensus  of  opinion  was  that 
the  honor  of  the  company  demanded  that  it  con- 
tinue to  the  end  to  accomplish  to  the  fullest  that 
for  which  so  many  financial  sacrifices  had  been 


[65: 


The  Spirit  made — to  take  any  other  course,  to  discontinue,  to 
of  1906  faii  down,  or  to  break  faith  with  those  who  had  given 
us  their  confidence  would  be  suicidal.  In  this  de- 
duction proof  was  given  of  the  sound  judgment  and 
business  acumen  of  those  who  bore  the  brunt  of 
the  burden  in  those  hot  days  of  battle.  They  took 
the  position  that  the  reputation  which  the  com- 
pany had  already  builded  was  an  asset  of  almost 
unlimited  value  and  realized  that  the  peak  of  the 
mountain  was  just  a  few  steps  further  on — that 
summit  from  which  the  company  could  look  out 
upon  the  valley  of  success  and  reap  the  full  reward 
for  all  the  sacrifices  its  stockholders  had  made. 
Plan  after  plan  was  submitted  for  financing,  change 
after  change  was  suggested,  but  for  a  time 
concerted  action  seemed  almost  impossible  of  at- 
tainment. Finally,  I  called  upon  the  largest  stock- 
holder and  treasurer  of  the  company,  Mr.  Geo.  L. 
Payne,  in  his  office  at  the  Payne  Bolt  Works.  I 
laid  before  him  the  plan  of  increasing  the  capital 
stock  from  six  thousand  shares  to  ten  thousand 
shares  by  the  sale  of  four  thousand  shares  at  sixty 
dollars  per  share  which  would  realize  for  the  com- 
pany a  total  amount  of  $240,000  of  which  $160,000 
could  be  applied  to  capital,  bringing  that  item  up 
to  $400,000,  and  $80,000  to  surplus.  While  this  did 
not  make  the  surplus  as  much  as  was  desirable, 
we  were  used  to  economies,  to  making  every  dollar 
count.  This  has  always  been  a  feature  of  the  man- 
agement of  the  company.  With  this  sum  and  by  a 

[66] 


W.  E.  DEAN,  PRESIDENT  TO  THE 

YEAR  1914,  NOW  VICE-PRESIDENT 

AND  DIRECTOR. 


The  Spirit  continuance  of  conservative  methods  and  proper 
of  1906  management  we  believed  it  possible  to  provide  for 
all  contingencies.  Mr.  Payne  listened  quietly,  a 
pad  of  paper  before  him  and  a  pencil  in  his  hand. 
When  I  had  exhausted  every  argument  and  made 
the  best  possible  statement  of  the  exact  conditions, 
he  stated  that  he  realized  fully  the  gravity  of  the 
position  and  then  came  \hzflood.  He  said  that,  if 
it  became  necessary,  he,  as  the  largest  stockholder 
in  the  company,  would  endorse  the  proposition  to 
the  extent  of  taking  the  entire  issue.  The  balance 
of  the  consummation  of  the  idea  was  merely  a 
matter  of  detail.  Another  meeting  of  the  stock- 
holders was  called  and  of  the  many  meetings  that 
we  had  gone  through,  this  stands  out  brightest  of 
all.  The  plan  was  presented  "and  as> Mg^tiniturally 
be  expected  invoked  little  ^thufilsitt'aWd'dici  not 
appear  to  interest  anybody Ci-M^'  ^a^n4c<  qvuetly 
rose  to  his  feet,  explalned'the  position  of  tfie  com- 
pany as  he  saw  it  and  then  shocked  the  assemblage 
into  activity  by  making  public  the  announcement 
of  his  willingness  to  take  the  entire  issue  of  addi- 
tional stock.  That  was  a  flash  of  optimistic  light- 
ning the  bolt  of  which  apparently  struck  every 
man  in  the  room.  They  sat  up,  took  notice,  and 
awoke  to  the  fact  that  they  were  possibly  missing 
something  worth  while.  The  outcome  was  that 
Mr.  Payne  was  only  able  to  secure  his  pro  rata  as 
the  entire  issue  was  promptly  over  subscribed  by 
the  stockholders,  it  being  understood  that  the 

[68] 


E.   T.   NIEBLING,  PRESIDENT  TO 
JUNE  1919,  NOW  DIRECTOR. 


The  Spirit  right  of  subscription  should  be  confined  rigidly  to 
of  1906  stockholders  of  record.  Never  in  my  business  career 
have  I  seen  the  value  or  virtue  of  a  leader  expressed 
in  so  forceful  a  manner  as  in  the  effect  of  Mr. 
Payne's  offer  upon  that  meeting.  It  was  the  great- 
est evidence  of  applied  psychology  that  ever  it 
has  been  my  good  fortune  to  experience. 


OFFICE  AND  BUILDING  OF  THE  COMPANY,  Nos. 
550-558  SACRAMENTO  STREET,  SAN  FRANCISCO, 
CALIF.,  FROM  SEPTEMBER  1907  TO  COMPLE- 
TION OF  NEW  BUILDING. 


^Recapitulation 


HESE  memoranda  I  have  written  years 
after  the  happenings  which  they 
sketch.  They  are  drawn  from  the  rec- 
ords of  the  company  and  from  the 

tablets  of  my  memory.  Those  upon 

which  I  have  touched  were  amongst  the  higher 
lights,  they  are  vivid  in  recollection  and  as  well 
remembered  as  if  they  had  taken  place  at  a  recent 
date. 

Those  were  strenuous  times.  Times  that  not 
alone  tested  the  dignity  and  honor  of  men,  but 
rocked  them  to  their  very  foundations.  Only  the 
admittedly  honest  and  honorable  men  survived 
the  experiences  of  those  days  without  blotch 
upon  their  escutcheons.  It  is  naturally  to  be  pre- 
sumed that  the  minds  of  those  who  passed  through 
those  days  of  reconstruction  recall  many  deeds  of 
heroism,  of  sacrifices  made  upon  the  altar  of  duty. 
Each  has  the  surmounting  of  his  individual  trials 
to  remember,  but  amongst  all  that  was  done  as  the 
result  of  the  San  Francisco  conflagration  there  is, 
in  my  opinion,  nothing  carrying  greater  honor  or 


The  Spirit  higher  integrity  than  the  work  and  sacrifice  of  that 
of  1900  gallant  band  of  men  who  were  directors  and  share- 
holders of  the  California  Insurance  Company.  They 
were  the  pioneers  and  the  sons  of  pioneers  who 
braved  the  hardships  and  terrors  of  desert  and  sea 
— the  founders  of  this  great  commonwealth.  Inci- 
dents and  happenings  which  have  passed  from 
public  record  will  still  live  in  the  memory  of  those 
who  played  a  part.  The  wonderful  rehabilitation 
period,  with  all  that  it  meant  of  physical  and  men- 
tal suffering,  but  typifies  today  in  concrete,  stone 
and  brick  the  sturdy  and  stalwart  spirit  of  those 
men  who  were  made  absolute  pioneers  by  the  ash- 
heap  of  1906.  Some  of  these  have  gone  to  their  last 
accounting,  but  for  those  who  are  still  serving,  and 
still  tugging  at  the  oar,  there  remains  but  to  guard 
the  heritage  which  they  bequeathed — to  bring 
upon  the  results  of  their  work  a  continuation  of 
their  ideals. 

The  spirit  of  1906,  glorified  by  San  Franciscans, 
which  alone  made  possible  the  resurrection  from 
the  ashes  of  that  "city  loved  around  the  world," 
sitting  serenely  upon  its  seven  hills  by  the  portals 
of  the  Golden  Gate  and  whose  destiny  is  oblivious 
of  fire  and  earthquake,  is  worthy  of  more  than  a 
passing  tribute.  Its  example  should  thrill  and  en- 
courage those  who  are  inclined  to  falter.  It  is  a 
beacon  light  to  those  who  are  to  continue  the 
struggle  with  the  petty  details  and  the  larger 
duties  of  everyday  life.  And  among  the  contribu- 

[74] 


CHAS.  J.  HOLMAN,  PRESIDENT  OF 
THE  COMPANY. 


The  Spirit  tors  none  are  more  to  be  admired  or  borne  in 
of  1906  reverent  respect  than  the  directors,  those  men 
who  held  either  large  or  small  investments  in  the 
"California"  and  were  true  to  their  trust. 


[76: 


OFFICE  AND  BUILDING  OF  THE  COMPANY,  No. 
315  MONTGOMERY  STREET,  SAN  FRANCISCO, 
CALIF.,  FROM  DECEMBER  1921. 


(Conclusion 

HETHER  the  end  justifies  the  means 
depends  upon  the  judgment  of  the 
critic.  It  is  possible  that  there  is  too 
much  of  personality  herein,  but  in 

justice  to  the  writer,  it  must  be  borne 

in  mind  that  no  attempt  has  been  made  for  literary 
style;  that  the  task  imposed  upon  him  was  at- 
tempted solely  to  comply  with  the  insistence  of 
others  and  that  the  use  of  the  first  personal  pro- 
noun is  the  readiest  vehicle  of  expression. 

No  special  mantle  of  credit  rests  upon  his  should- 
ers. If  there  be  any  such  garment  it  drapes  the 
shoulders  of  every  man  connected  with  the  com- 
pany from  the  humblest  employe  up  through  the 
heaviest  stockholders  to  the  highest  official.  It 
overlaps  and  falls  with  becoming  dignity  on  the 
shoulders  of  those  who  are  fellow  citizens  and  fel- 
low Californians,  who  shared  with  us  as  we  shared 
with  them  the  heat  and  burden  of  the  days  suc- 
ceeding the  never-to-be-forgotten  disaster  of  April 
1 8,  1906. 


L79. 


The  Spirit  of  1906  is  a  book  of  the 

Primo  Press,  San  Francisco,  printed  in 

April,  1921 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED     WED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

..JWALS  ONLY-TEl.  NO.  ***-«*« 

;  is  due  on  the  last  date  s^ped  below,  or 


,  or 


onTe  date  to  which  renewed 
Renewed  b^ks  are  subj 


1. 


LD2lA-60m-3,'70 
(N5382slO)476-A-32 


General  Library    . 
University  of  California 
Berkeley 


YB 


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